For many years, night vision technology has enabled military personnel to view scenes in very low light conditions. However, many of these night vision systems have weight distributions and overall bulk that can make them unsuitable for many other applications, such as many civil and entertainment applications. These systems frequently require additional support, which frequently comes from an external structure such as a vehicle frame, a pilot's helmet, or one or both of the user's hands. Certain features of the present invention address these and other needs and provide other important advantages.